Waldron springs a surprise at Taipa
ONE-TIME Hongkong jockey Philip Waldron produced the shock of the meeting at Taipa yesterday when 50-1 chance My Fancy scored a thrilling head victory in the third event.
Waldron, who has had a difficult season to date, proved fractionally too strong for topweight Lung Sung One in the Class Three, 1,200-metre event where odds-on favourite Deluxina (9-5) could finish only fifth.
The winner was trained by Waldron's regular employer, former Malton-based trainer Keith Stone, who said of the horse: ''I have always felt there was something there but he disappointed us slightly on a couple of occasions.'' If My Fancy had the Taipa faithful reeling, it was one of the few real shocks.
No less than five favourites readily obliged with Kevin Connolly saddling up a short-priced double.
The former Curragh-based trainer was successful, as expected, with exciting Eagle World (9-5 favourite) who gave New Zealander Grant Davison an armchair ride in winning the Class Four short sprint by two lengths.
Eagle World ran them off their feet with Tak Po World (16-1) providing some value in the quinella.
Pat Shanahan, due to return to Ireland at the end of the month after a successful three-month stint, brought up the Connolly double when Cubism (9-5 favourite) scored a two-length win in the Class Four, 1,000-metre final event.
Cubism was never under threat from King Of Kings (13-1) who finished second for John Egan, making it very much an Irish affair.
Former Hongkong champion trainer Allan Chan had one of his best days since moving to Taipa, saddling up a winning double initiated by Chungwha Treasure (9-1) in the day's top race.
Chungwha Treasure won the Class Two, 1,200-metre third event by three parts of a length from Asean Bright (10-1) with favourite Champion Prince (3-1) finishing last in the 10-runner event.
Elong Sing (5-2 favourite) completed the double for Chan when he simply trotted up in the Class Five eighth event. Former Hongkong apprentice Tony Y. C. Fung, who had ridden Chungwha Treasure, was on board when Elong Sing won by five lengths from Double Jacket (9-2).
And Tony Ives was on target again yesterday. It wasn't quite the sizzling treble of last week but there were no complaints when Gold Sand (9-2) obliged in the Class Two, 1,200-metre fifth event.
It does appear that turnover at Taipa has basically bottomed out at around the $20 million mark. The exact figure yesterday was $20.1 million.
